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McCown Feeling Like It’s 2002

It was Vincent Jackson raving earlier this week about how Josh McCown is an extraordinary athlete, surprising his teammates at 35 years old. (You can read about that here.)

So today Joe figured he’d asked McCown if he still felt like the same guy who cranked out a 4.57-second 40-yard dash and a 38.5-inch vertical leap at the NFL Scouting Combine back in 2002.

McCown, of course, has low mileage on his body, the result of only 38 NFL starts. He’s in great shape and said he hasn’t lost any of his athletic edge in 12 years.

“I think probably every 35-year-old would tell you that (laughs). No, But I mean don’t feel any different,” McCown said. “So I don’t know; you’ll have to look at the tape and see. But I feel good. My body feels good. It really does. It doesn’t feel a whole lot different than my first few years in the league.”

So there you have it, McCown’s faster than Cam Newton, and more explosive than Newton and Colin Kaepernick, if you go by their pre-draft data. He’s got an array of weapons, too, far more than Newton will have this year.

It feels like the Bucs have a great recipe for success. McCown just has to prove he’s really a new man after five good starts in Chicago last year. That’s probably the story of the Bucs’ 2014 season right there.

Yea I know its just the time that bothers me. Waiting 2 or 3 years just to see if he is any good seems like a waste when we could start finding out now Lol. I guess you can say thats Freeman’s fault Lol

Could even pull a Nick Foles. He too was drafted in the third round, but had to kind of grow into the position. I think MGMers are looking at this the wrong way. Nothing could bring out Glennon’s full potential more then him sitting and learning everything he can from coaches and even a vet like McCown imo.

I don’t think there is any doubt our success is riding on McCown, unless we get a bunch of devastating injuries. This is definitely the most talented team we’ve had in quite a while, and definitely the best coach we’ve had since Gruden. We have a proven great defensive coach, with what appears to be the perfect personnel to play in his defense. We have much better depth than we’ve had in years past. Our schedule is tough, but I believe manageable if we can avoid going 0-3.

That being said, I don’t think McCown being a game manager is going to be enough to get us in the playoffs. The NFC is way too good. He’s going to have to make plays, and win us a couple games with his arm. If we have learned anything from the Schiano era it’s that you can’t pound the ball play after play and be successful in this league. You’ve got to air it out. With Jackson, Evans, Wright, Jenkins, Myers, etc. we’ve got the weapons. Now it’s just a matter of McCown being a modern day Kurt Warner.

Even if you believe Glennon is the better QB. Why waste his talents behind a line that is the biggest question mark on this team? I look at it this way. Josh is a true veteran of the game, has had some success, and followed behind some pretty good offenses and QB through out his time in the league which leads me to believe he is a very smart QB. He also has the talent to put it all together and be a great game manager. Which at this point (with all the weapons we have) is all we really need. Someone who wont make silly mental mistakes. Now i firmly believe Glennon is our future. For now nothing but good will come from him learning from a guy like McCown on how to play not just on talent but “smart” .

Some people refuse to risk their know-it-allness and allow the possibility that McCown could actually have a good year. Who cares if he’s not Brady, Manning, Brees, or Rodgers? He doesn’t have to be. Allow yourself to indulge in a little bit of optimism. Reports from camp are positive. Let’s be hopeful.

“Know it-allness”. I love it. Orca, you are absolutely right about those who refuse to alter their thinking by allowing their current observations to dispel their predictions and bias. When watching practice, one must pay little attention to who is making the play and just see who stands out. That’s why after two practices I began to notice Tommy Streeter. Now, everyone else is seeing it. All of the QB’s make good and bad plays and their timing with receivers is still developing. But it’s pretty clear to this observer that #12 is far superior to #8.

Why is everyone so emotional about the QB situation?
McCown has done a nice job by most all accounts. Many have said he’s a remarkable upgrade compared to Freeman and the offense looks sharp compared to previous camps.
Give the guy his due.
BTW, the Cannon fires to the second team WR’s and that OL may just get him killed. He’s never played behind a first string OL in any camp. Just like last season, another second rate line.